--- title: "This Might Be the Last We Ever See of the James Webb Space Telescope" description: "The James Webb Space Telescope launch into orbit means we'll never see photos of it again." date: "2022-01-06" modified: "2022-01-06" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/last-sight-jwst" categories: - "James Webb Space Telescope" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "james webb space telescope" - "JWST" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # This Might Be the Last We Ever See of the James Webb Space Telescope ![The James Webb Space Telescope launch into orbit means we'll never see photos of it again.]() *\Image: ESA/Arianespace\* ## Long Strange Trip What a long, strange trip it's been for the James Webb Space Telescope — which, with its recent launch into space, may never be seen by "local" cameras again. As [*Space.com* noted](), the high definition video of the JWST being deployed from the Ariane 5 rocket that launched it is likely the last time the telescope will be near enough to photograph, as it makes its way nearly a million miles away from Earth so it can document young galaxies with less interference. As if [set to Gustav Holst]() (though the European Space Agency instead chose to set it to nondescript electronica), the breathtaking video of the JWST separating from Ariane 5 shows the uber-expensive telescope slowly drifting further and further away from its home planet, never to return. Particularly poignant is the moment it unfurls its solar panel about halfway through the three-minute video. https://twitter.com/esa/status/1476584214434914308 ## Happiest Season In the days since its Christmas launch, the JWST — named for a former NASA administrator and State Department flunky who was instrumental in [purging gay people from government]() — has had a number of [in-space successes]() already, including the deployment of its sun shield, secondary mirror. "We actually have a telescope," [NASA program manager Bill Ochs said]() after yesterday's secondary mirror deployment — a feat, given that the telescope has been plagued by [delay]() after [delay](). The telescope is nearly one million kilometers away from earth already (roughly two-thirds of the way to its ultimate destination) and [only has three more]() major deployments to go — one of which is [set to happen today]() — to get the telescope into full operational mode. The JWST is on its way to fulfilling potential that has been decades and tens of billions of dollars in the making, and seeing it leave us after all that time, money, and energy spent is naturally quite bittersweet. **READ MORE**: [This amazing HD video is the last view we'll ever have of the James Webb Space Telescope]() \[*Space.com*\] **More on the JWST:** [*Scientists Incredibly Anxious About Space Telescope Launch*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()